Many animals from the South come to live in the Arctic

Russia's Arctic region is losing its ice covering and there are animals from the South to reside, the latest sign of global climate change.

A group of Russian scientists made the conclusion after conducting a three-month study in the Franz Josef Land archipelago, the islands located in Russia's far north with 191 islands covered by ice.

Seagull birds

The group of eight scientists, including experts in geomorphology, zoology and botany, drew a new map of the archipelago as well as listed rare species that first appeared here.

After surveying 42/191 islands of the archipelago, scientists noted that the ice cover in the area fell sharply since the last Soviet poll in 1957.

In addition, of about 20 species of birds identified, four species are not common here, especially two species of tailed gulls and long-tailed ducks. These birds are common in the South and it is clear that global warming has brought them to the North Pole.

Scientists have also collected some rare mosquitoes here, one of which has never been known until now. Final scientific conclusions will be made in 2013, when the research team finishes reviewing the collected data.

Many experts believe that melting the frozen land in Russia's vast northern territories could jeopardize the country's energy infrastructure, while the fertile lands in the south have may become unsuitable for agricultural activities.